05/15/2026
Every year, (no matter the sport or the season or even the athlete) parents try to "work" through the maze of the NCAA (who I coined the CARTEL) and every year, parents seem to get further and further away from knowing just how devious the NCAA (and sadly yes even the NFHS) organizations do thier best to "put the screws" to the high school athlete and their parents.
Now we have the LATEST (with of course more NEW lawsuits) coming down the road with the 5 to play 5 (and yes even before the NCAA and the College Sports Commission can vote, there is already a case moving through the court system Patterson V NCAA). Look- Ive been dealing with the CARTEL since my NLI back in 1973 and after 53 years I know there pattern. C and C. CONTROL and CHAOS. Especially since in recent years they have taken a beating in courts and yes have lost BILLIONS. But, like all good CARTELS they will find a way BACK to ensure they make even MORE- and this is the heart of the 5 to play 5 .And lastly, in this group who are the ones going to make MORE Money? The LAWYERS and as I coined the phrase in my College Athletic Scholarship book back in 2021 NIL stand for NOW its Legal- and Now iIts (the) Lawyers.
In the end, the parents will continue to struggle and the high school athletes will continue to lose scholarship opportunities while Mom and Dad spend all their time and money in the $50 Billion a year in the Youth Sports Industrial Complex! Next year, I'll be back writing the next chapter of the CARTEL in college sports, and lets hope some of you will listen- and not to focus on the STARS!
Coach Nolan
